Cooper To House Republican: ‘You’re Not On Fox News’

WASHINGTON (CBS DC) — Anderson Cooper looked to pin down direct answers from Republican Rep. Raul Labrador on a series of federal government shutdown issues, and when the Idaho congressman accused Cooper of taking sides, Cooper responded sharply.

“Your argument is that the House of Representatives doesn’t matter,” said Rep. Labrador on the CNN show. “Just because you don’t like that the Republicans are in control of the House of Representatives.”

“Look, I don’t have a stake in this,” Cooper responded. “This is the way it works in journalism.”

“When you’re not on Fox News, you get contentious interviews. When you’re not on MSNBC and a liberal, you get contentious interviews.”

Cooper had pressured Rep. Labrador on the fact that Obamacare passed Congress and was the signature campaign marker of President Obama’s two victorious elections. And the Supreme Court’s upholding of the Affordable Care Act should be embraced by the GOP.

“You’re nullifying two presidential elections and you’re nullifying the vote of Congress, because you don’t like it,” said Cooper.

Labrador responded that Anderson is overlooking the GOP-controlled House vote.

“We did have an election. And in the election of the United States, we chose a Republican House and a Democratic Senate,” said Rep. Labrador. “So we’re not going to sit here and just only do what the Democrats want to do.”

“Our constituents sent us to Washington D.C. to win this. And to actually fight on this.”

The ongoing federal government shutdown entered its ninth day on Tuesday.